The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-06-25
CONCERNING BOOKS.
BY E. cAvAzzA.

Ii one were in search of stimulating and
suggestive volume, that should bring some
what of the vigor of the October air into the
languors OF summer time, he could make no
better choice than Mr.. Robert Louis Steven
sons Familiar Studies of Men and Books.
1t is in every way remarkable, for brillance
OF literary style, distinct and original criti-
cism, and . just and large comprehension of
the nature and gifts of the men of whom
these essays treat The author of Dr. Jekyll
and Mr.. Hyde has singular mental appre-
citation of evil and not less strong moral
affinity with good, which enable him to pro-
duce work of high dramatic power and ethi-
cal quality. His insight is often startling in
Its keen, logical search, following mems ac-
lions or writings to their sources in some
obscure recess of the mind. With his keen
analytical sense, and his acceptance of the
memorable action of laws, moral and physi-
cal, Mr.. Stevenson might easily have be-
come pessimist. Yet nothing is farther re-
moved from his attitude. He prefers to use
his power of analysis to separate, as well as
may be, evil from good, and see in the fail
ings of men only the reverse of the modal of
NiiNii POooAblilblSSs Ndbuldllgs III bub Selec-
ton of subjects for biographical sketches,
Mr.. Stevenson has chosen those which pre-
sent problems to the analyst. His portrait
of Burns is masterpiece Of plain truth,
charitably spoken, without conformation of
faults, but with full understanding of the
temptations and tendencies of the mingled
strength and weakness of the poet. His
study of Walt Whitman is magnificent, and
contains passages than which nothing better
or more final can be said concerning this
great, oyerstrained voice of the new world.
Mr.. Stevenson finds in Thoreau another
American type, but frankly dislikes in him
the quality Of self-conscious and priggish
alienation from his fellowmen, while recog-
nizing his simplicity and purity of nature.
Villon, ''our sad, glad, bad, mad brothers
NAME" heads a sketch which in its grim
force and justice is perhaps the most re-
markable in the volume. 1t has been the
fashion in certain English cliques to idolize
the memory of Francois Villon, and snow
from his feet that Death has washed the
mire," and that mire has blown away in the
dust of four centuries, to condone his vari-
Gus yillanies and consider him master Of
song. He was an impenitent villain; and
the truth and vigor of his song may be lit
erary triumph of realism, but certainly is
not praiseworthy in world where moral in
stincts are respected. He did his part in
liberating literature from its mummy-cas-
ings, but was himself bound in the baods of
every sort of sin and meanness. And yet
after all, the strident, strenuous voice Of Viii
Ion is heard still, and will make itself heard
long time in its bitter ballades, the express
sion OF the sordid life and dread of death of
a man whom sin had separated from all un-
derstanding of one and the other. Charles
of Orleans, Victor Hugo. Samuel Pepys and
other characters are defined with Mr.. Steven
sons unremitting skill and brilliancy. Not
the least remarkable part Of the work is the
preface, which gives the reader some insight